Love Me, or Love Me Not?
by foreverfanggirl
Summary: Klaus is falling for a girl by the name of Charlotte Petrova. But there's one problem: she happens to be in love with his brother, Elijah.
1. Love Me Not

**Chapter 1:**

I'm not good. I'm not even capable of goodness. Which is why I can't understand her. I can't understand how she could love someone like me.

Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself. How about I start off where it all began.

So my brother, Elijah, all around golden boy, poster child for perfection, the favorite of my parents, met this girl. Her name is Charlotte, or as everyone else at school calls her- Char. Not only was she the most popular girl in school after she moved here a few months ago, but she was also my sister's new BFF. I've never even liked any of sister's friends. In fact, I mostly just ignored them and their late night pillow fights and prank calls. But not Charlotte, she was different. But she's Elijah's type, not mine. They were perfect for each other. But if they're so perfect for each other, why am I still angry over the fact that she's with him, and not me? He deserves someone like her. He does. And if it sounds like I'm trying to convince myself of this, it's because I am. Elijah gets every one of those goody-good-captain-of-the-debate-team girls, and I'm fine with that. But, out of all the girls in Mystic Falls High, why did it have to be _her_? And why, you ask, can't a super hot bad boy like yourself move on and find someone else? Because I'm mesmerized by her, and I can't think about any one else but her. Not even Katherine Pierce, the girl I've been dating on and off since freshman year. Now, she is a totally different story. She's the kind of girl who stays out all night, partying and getting drunk, the girl I would have been completely fine hanging out with a couple months ago. The exact opposite of Charlotte Petrova. Even her name is enchanting. God, what's wrong with me?

I'm not this guy. You know that guy that sits around, pining for that one girl he knows he will never have. The guy that sits in homeroom and doodles her name in his notebook, waiting until the bell rings so he can enact his carefully strategized plan of "accidentally" bumping into her, just so he can get a chance to talk to her. I'm too-cool-for-school Nik Patterson, for god's sake. I don't sit around and wait for Rebekah to get home from her annual weekend shopping trip, just in case Char might be with her. I should be at the grill, getting drunk and hitting on random girls- girls that would die at the chance of sleeping with me, much less talking to me. I should be doing what I do best: pretending not to care and hoping for the best. Just like I did last year when my parents died, and when I was forced into growing up faster than I would have ever would have imagined, to look after my brother and sisters.

So that's exactly what I did, manned up and carefully- or as carefully as I could- executed a plan to make sure Charlotte would be mine.


	2. Lots and Lots of Chemistry

You know how in those horror movies, when the teenage babysitter is frantically trying to hide from the psycho killer, she goes and picks like the creepiest spot in the house, and you're looking at the screen, yelling "don't go into the basement! Don't you dare open that door!" and when she does you watch in disbelief as the guy reaches his hand out of the darkness and grabs her… "You should have listened to me!" you say, as you shake your head.

Well, this is exactly what I'm feeling as I make the thirty-five steps all the way from my car up to my destination of Charlotte's door. _Thirty-six. Thirty-seven. Thirty-eight_. Now I'm on the front porch, standing on the "Welcome, Friend!" mat, and all I want to do is turn around and make a run for it. But I can't, I actually have a reason to be here. But how should I knock? I don't want to sound like one of those annoying salespeople who bang on your door incredibly hard trying to get your attention- and giving you a headache while they're at it. And I definitely don't want to sound like one of those perky little neighbors who are coming over to bring you a "Welcome to the Neighborhood!" casserole, and do one of those knocks that has that cheesy little tune to it. Just as I am contemplating the impression my knock is going to give, I lift up my hand to form a fist, and the door opens. It's Charlotte.

"Um… Hi" she says, a confused look plastered on her face.

I just stand there._ Say something!_ I think to myself. I rack my brain, searching for something to say, Why am I even here to begin with? Oh, right! "We have chemistry," I blurt out before I even realize what I'm saying, only then do I realize what I actually meant to say. By the look on her face I can tell she thinks I'm insane. "No!" I say, a little more forcefully then I meant to, "No, what I meant was, we have a chemistry project. We have a chemistry project together, and it's due next Monday." She nods. Is that a smirk on her face? I continue with my ramble, "And so I just wanted to stop by to see when, um… when you wanted to work on it."

And then the weirdest thing happens. She just laughs. Not just like a "ha-ha you're weird" laugh, but a loud, uncontrollable giggle. And it goes on for what feels like half an hour. She finally stops and says, "So let me get this straight, Nik Patterson-who I've never seen complete a single page of homework since the two months I've known you- came to my house- instead of asking me, oh I don't know, in _chemistry class_- to ask me when I wanted to do our Chemistry project?"

I'm trying to think of something clever or funny to respond with, but I can't think of a single thing, and it wouldn't matter because my mouth is completely dry anyways, so all I can manage is a curt nod.

"Ha!" she smiles. Maybe this isn't so bad. "Okay, well, I'm actually heading over to the Grill, how about you come with me and we can talk there."

"Perfect," I give her my best bad-boy-charm smile. I have to try and at least act normal, I need to make up for what just happened. I don't want her to think I'm a complete nut job, "Because the Grill is just the _perfect_ place to go to show off my study skills to all of my friends and the half of the student body that go there every day, how about we go somewhere a little more… private, that way we won't ruin my bad boy cred." I say, raising my eyebrows.

"Nice try," she says, mimicking my smile "But keep in mind this was _your_ idea, and I have to go the Grill anyway to meet Elijah. Ring a bell? You know, my _boyfriend_. Yourbrother."

Right. _Elijah_ I think as I roll my eyes "Well then," I open up my car door for her "We best get going."


End file.
